October has a way of stirring up the feels, and this year, it came with the heartbreaking loss of Liam Payne. Although fans had long accepted the band’s end, Payne’s sudden departure reopened an old wound, marking a finality that feels all too real. In moments like this, it is the memories that offer comfort, and in true fan spirit, there is one resurfacing to bring a smile: a throwback to a royal meet-and-greet between Kate Middleton and One Direction that has fans reliving the golden era once again.

Zayn Chronicles, a fan page on X, recently shared a 2014 video of Kate Middleton meeting One Direction members, including Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles at the Royal Variety Performance in London Palladium on November 13. The snippet shows the Duchess of Cambridge engaging in small talks with the boy band members from nearly a decade ago, the peak One Direction era.

In this decade-old clip, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles, all dressed in black, shake hands with Kate Middleton, who takes a moment to chat with each of them. Unlike their current personalities or stylistic mood boards, the snippet captures One Direction in their youthful prime. For some fans, the clip is all about nostalgia and a golden throwback, but for a few others, it is about how their brand of royalty held up, even next to actual royalty.

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That said, the resurfacing of the video is pure gold for One Direction fans, and by the looks of it, they cannot get enough of it.

Since the news of Liam Payne’s tragic loss spread over the entertainment capital, tributes flooded every artistic venue, giving fans plenty of chances for revisits. But with the clip of this royal meet-and-greet resurfacing, the nostalgia is over-pouring, since there is no better way to remember than seeing someone as they were. While many have mourned the loss of One Direction over the years, this memory recall was unlike any other.

Many teared up emotionally, but the video left even more reliving the memory with a little smile. A running joke of how Kate Middleton stumbled upon Prince Louis' name right here also made it to the thread when others were busy decoding Harry Styles' conversation with her.

Some others also noticed the band members' humility while others paid attention to detail, conjuring a little laughter in the costume contrast of Niall Horan and the rest. Although revisiting the past can be bittersweet, this clip proves not every memory stings since this did good in replacing the sobs with some smiles.

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What do you think of this decade-old video of Kate Middleton and One Direction members? Let us know in the comments below!